Coin control



19, 3 G. E. NICHOLSON 1,773,632

COIN CONTROL Fil May 929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR .IZ/Vz'cholaon,

' ATTORNEY WITNESSES Aug. 19, 1930. a. E. NICHOLSON com CONTROL Filed May 2'7, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Gflmpbolaon,

ATTORNEY WITNESSES Aug. 19, 1930. G. E. NICHOLSON COIN CONTROL Filed lay 2'7. 1929- '4 Sheets-Sheet 3' INVENTOR G.L'.]Vz'cboZ-son, BY

ATTORNEY g- 1930. s. E. NICHOLSON COIN CONTROL Filed May 27., 1929' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lN I ENTOR G-EMcirolson,

WITNESSES ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 19,1930

" sa' a s r ar GEORGE ivronorson on'rUL sn, o LArioMA corn conrnon ,A i ncanmi filed May 27,

This invention relates to improvements in coin controls and it consists of the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.-

Anobject of the invention is to provide a coin control which has the facility of being. applicable to any styleor vending machine in which theunlocking of a plunger or its equivalent isa vlore-requisite to the operation of the machine for the dispensation of an article. a

Another object of the inventionis to provide a coin control which will prevent the discharge of an article from the machine to I will be moved toward an unlocking position upon operation by a coin of any lift finger of a lever system, but which can be made to L assume the unlocking position only by a cumulative action of the lever system upon insertion of coins equal in value to the'article sought to be bought.

Another object of the invention'isto proride a'unit coin control which is not only the common actuator ofa plurallty of discha-rger slidesbut also is easily separable from the. I

other quahtythat was especiallydeveloped vending machine mechanism. Other. objects and advantages Wl'll appear 45 in the following specification, reference be-:

ing had to the accompanying drawings, in whichfl Figure 1 is a cross section of a portion of a vending machine illustrating the embodiment of the improved coin control,

Figure-2 is a horizontal section takensubstantially on the line 22 oiiFigure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the. I

diate purchase and the vendor of the advantage of a sale byvirtue of the purchaser not lint 5--3 of Figure l, a v

r if igure 4 is a detail cross section taken sub- 1929. seriaiunol 366,427. 1

stantially on the line Hot Figure 2, illus trating the action of a dime upon the lever system, v I

Figure 5 is a similar view taken substantially on the line 5;5 of Fig. 2, illustrating the action of system, i v I Figure 6is a detailelevation of a portion ofthe. front cover plate and its associated, parts,

Figure 7 a live cent piece upon the lever r .60 is a detail perspective view ofthe I lock release hereinafter referred to, v l V Figure 8. is a detail perspective View of the locking hook.

As brought out in one of the foregoing statements of the objects of the invention, it I is a purpose to'provide a coin control for what might be'described as universal application, that is to? say, it is capable of use in any style of. vending machine in which the part is a pre-requisite to that operation of the mechanism which will release or discharge the-article sought. to be purchased. In order to illustrate one adaptation ofthe coin control it is herein shown in conjunction with enough of themechanism of the vending machine in a copending application for patent, liled byGeorge E. Nicholson under date of May .27, 1929, Serial No". 366,426, otherwise known as Case No. 1. V l e A description of the details of this particular vending machine" is reserved for the companion patent application, but enough oi the vending machine is described herein to I give the reader an understanding of the purpose of the coin control. The latter has anto meet the exigencies of modern trade. The

number of articles selling at prices exceeding five cents is rapidly increasing so that the purchaser is often confronted with the re- 7 unlocking of a plunger or some equivalent having coins of proper denominations. The aforesaid quality of the coin control is such that the intending purchaser may insert any available coins so long as the aggregate value s equal to the cost of the article sought, and thus be able to bring about an operation of the vending machine and complete the purchaseof the article. 1

This principle is illustrated by using a fifteen cent value as an example. The vending machine is supposed to contain articles that will sell for fifteen cents, and agreeable with this premise the coin control is capable of operation either upon the insertion of three five cent pieces or a dime and one five cent piece. According to theext'e'nsion of the principle; other combinations of coins could be used in a coin control patterned after the oneherein described and in fact any coinhinations of coins in multiples up to one dollar mightbe used as will presently be understood. Q

It is the action of a leverage system that makes this variable use of. coins possible.

This leverage system is actually a compound lever, and its function is to gauge the coins so that the cumulative action of the lift fingers 'orproportioning levers as they might be called, will be sufficient to raise a locking hook from its locking position only when coins of a suflicient value have been inserted. A sufiicie'nt raising of the locking hook is the ultimate purpose of the coin control and it is by this raising'ofthe the locking hook that the plunger is freed for its movement to operate the vending machine.

Reference is now made to the drawings. The vending machine is first briefly described to dispose thereof and that the latter description may be concentrated upon the coin controlf A hollow base 1 carries a superbase 2 upon which a framework 3 is rested and con structed soas to define a space or column 4 in :which articles are supported by a; discharger slide 5 which is capable of being operated by a selector finger 6'. There is a series of these as Well as of the discharger slides because the vending machine will be equipped to handle a number of kinds of articles.

A'selecting shaft 7 carries a series oflifters Swh-ich are equal in number to the slides 5 and iingers theidea being that a turn of theshaft will move the companion finger i S into locking engagement with the discharger slide 5 of the'selected'article column so that asu bsequent movement of a selector plate-9 by which the series of fingers is carriedwwill cause a disp'lacementof the locked discharger slide from the column 4 so that the stack of articles can drop to the guide 10' alongwhich'th'e slide is nioi' able'. The return movement of the slide will discharge the article into a chute 11;

The subsequent movement just referredto 1,77e,eee

is brought about by pushing on the button 12 of a plunger 13. This plunger has connection with the selector plate 9 by, means of lugs 14. The connection of the lugs with the plunger is fixed so that any movement of the plunger will be transferred to the selector plate, hence to the selected one of the discharger slides. It is the purpose of the coin control either to lock the plunger against movement, as when no coins are inserted or coins of aninsuificisnt value, and to permit the movement of the plunger when the proper condition exists.

Attention is now directed to the details of the coin control. This comprises a base plate 15 which is fixed in position by virtue of being riveted or otherwise secured at 17 to an angle bracket 18 in turn secured to the front cover plate 19 of the base 1. The base 15 and plate 19 may be generally identified as a firied mounting for a coin plate 20 and its appurtenances. It is in respect to the base and cover plates that the plunger 13 is slidable, the cover plate in fact constituting one ofthe bearingsof the plunger. For the foregoing purpose the coin plate 20 has a pair of lugs 21 which are turned down from the plate and are attached to the plunger.

This attachment is intended to be fixed as far as the operation of the apparatus isconcorned. There must be no movement of the plunger relatively to the coin plate. The

coin plate must travel with the plunger, and

inasmuch as the coin plate and the selector plate 9 are similarly attached to the plunger, it follows that a movement of the plunger will bring about a simultaneous movement of the coin plate and selector plate. However, to carry out one of the purposes of the invention it must be unde stood that the connection at 21 is not necessarily made with this particular plunger 13. It might be made with something that is equivalent to the plunger, or something that by its operation will bring about discharge of an article from a vending machine.

A; locking hook 22 tends to prevent movement of the plunger 13 to an extent suificicnt to fully displace the slide 5 from the column l. For this purpose the hook occupies a lock slot 23 in the coin plate 20. The coin plate, and consequently the plunger 13, could be moved inwardly only until the front end of the slot engaged the near end of the hook 22. The shank 24 of the book has a common pivotal mounting with a set of lift fingers 25, 26. 27 and 28 (Fig. 2) which exercisea proportioning function or gaging action upon the lever system or actuator means later described, these fingers being simultaneously adjustable by an assemblage of heterogeneous coins inserted into the receivers 29, 30, 31 and 32 that the locking hook 22 will be raised to various heights and ultimately out of the slot 23 sothat the coin plate 20 and plunger may partake of unimpeded in;

ward movement.

Ears 33 providethe mounts for; a shaft their carried partsare also fixed so far as reciprocating movement is concerned. In

other words, the set of lift fingers andjthe locking hook are capable of limited up and down rocking motion .but' they do not reciprocate with the coin plate or plunger.

Spring rings 35 (Fig. 2) fitted in grooves (not shown) in the protruding ends of the shaft 34 hold the latterin place upon the ears. Sleeves 36' assembled upon theshaft 34 iniialternation with the. fingers 25, etc.,

space the latter at properintervals and retain them in their operative positions over thereceivers 29 and 30." The inner ends of the fingers are guided in slots 37 of a guide plate 38 which is fixedly secured at its ends to ears 39, similar to the ears 33, and bent up from the base 15. The liftv fingers are held at the bottoms of the slot 37 largely by aspring 4O (Fig. 2) which at one end connects with and presses down upon an arm of the lock release 41' and at the other end is applied to an arm of a bracket 42 upon which'the loclrreleasc is pivoted.

Each lift finger has a shoulder 43 on the nether-edge (Figs. 1, 4 and 5). These shoulders are bluntly pointed, and the points eitherrest upon narrow webs44 which divide the slug discharge opening 45 from coin slots 46 in the base plate 15, or are held in very close'proximity to said webs by the natural engagement of the inner ends of the fingers with the bottoms of the slots 37; vThe openings 45 are intended for the discharge of undersize slugs-into a place 1n the base 1 outside of the co n drawer 47. For example, the

first opening 45 at-the left ofFig. 2 is to disr, charge slugs smaller than a dime and the re maining openings 45 are to discharge slugs smaller than a five cent piece.

This brings the description to the purpose of the receivers 29 and 30. The first of these has what is called a dime hole 48, that is to say, a hole exactly the size of a new. dime. A coin larger than a dime will not fit in the hole, and a slug smaller than a "dime will drop 7 through the discharge opening 45 when the plunger is pushed. The permissible unresponsive movement of the plunger, represented by the distance between the frontend ofthe slot 23 and the near edge of the-hook 22, is slightly more thansufficient to bring". i the slug within range of-the discharge open-f ing 45, so that should a person seek to operate the machinebyplacingundersize slugs in the receivers he will only be. rewarded by having these dropped through the open; ings 45. .1

struct its admission.

On the otherhand, if coins of an insuflicient aggregate value are inserted in the receivers 29 and 30 they will not be lost upon pushing in on the plunger 13 because the foregoing permissible movement will not advance the coin holes in the receivers sufficiently beyond the webs 44. Thewebs thus serve as retainfive cent pieceholes 49. These are exactly the sizeof newfive cent pieces. Underslze slugs ers for good coins of an insufficient aggregate value. The recelvers 30, 31 and 32 have.

would drop through the. openings 45 precise f ly in the manner explained inrespect to the dime receiver 29.

Thebase plate 15 comprises the bottom of the coinholes 48 and 49. For, this purpose a small portion of the plate 15 projects beyond 1 the front cover plate 19. The projecting portion comprises a shelf, and it is upon. this snelf that the only active part of the coin control, namely the receivers 29 to 32, is visible from the outside of the, vending machine. The'sh'elf is perforated at 50 at points directs ly under the coin holes, the idea being that the intending purchaser may be enabled to push the ball of a finger up into the perfora-, tions from the underside of the shelf in order to" displace the coin or coins from the receiver should he change his mind about make the purchase or should he have inserted less than the proper number of coins.

(Joins mutilated by being warped out. of shape or overthick slugs will be denied admission to the machine by gauging the depth of slots 51 and 52 (Fig.6) in the front cover plate; 19 to the exact thicknesses of a dime or fivecent piece as the case may be. These slots are lateral oifsets of a long slot 77 (Figs. 1 and 6) in thefront cover plate 19 through which the forward endofthe base plate 15' protrudes. The thickness of the receivers 30, 31 and 32 will be equal to the thickness'of a 1 new fivecent piece and the depth of the slots 52, will be equal to such thickness. Hence it 7 follows that only a good five cent piece can be pushed through the front cover plate.

The protruding end; of the receiver 29 is ground down tothe thickness of a new dime as atl53 in Figure 4. The depth of the slot 51 is equal to such thicknesses, hence it follows that only a good dime can be pushed into the machine. Should a mutilated coin be in serted the wall around the slot would ob- Coins stuck inthe coin holes 48 and 49 either accidentally or intentionally will be, dislodged by ejector tongues 54 and thus prevent repeat operations of the machine.

:around the shoulders 43, and were the slots 55 and holes-48,49 divided by a web as in the This cominstance of the holes 45 and 46, such web would lift the fingers 25 etc, upon each initial-inward movement of the coin plate 20. A full inward movement of the coin plate 20 will bring the coin in the hole 48 (for examplelwithin range of the tongue 5 1, the advance of the coin under this tongue pushing the coin down and out of the hole 48, through the slot 46 and into the drawer a7. 7

The inner end of a slot 56 in the fixed base plate (Fig. 1) permits the inward movement of the coin plate 20, but this extent of movement can occur only after coins of a suiiicient value have been brought into play to raise the locking hook 22 out of its locking position. The forward lug ofthe pair 21 occupies the slot 56 and upon being stopped by engagement with the inner end of the slot will prevent further inward movement of the'plunger 13. In moving to this engaging position the lug 21 must pass the hook 22, but the hook at such time will be in the elevated position, hence the lug can readily pass there'over. V

The leading edge 57 of the forward lug is rounded, and the rear edge of the hook 22 is bevelled so that one can raise the other upon the'return movement of the coin plate and permit the latter to assume its original position. This raising movement of the hook is only instantaneous, and it is immediately pressed in its original position by a spring 58 which is employed for the purpose of tending to hold the hook down. This spring also exercises the function of keeping an adjustable contact screw 59 in engagement with atongue 60 of the lock release 41. One end of the spring is applied to the shank 24c and the other to a bracket 80 which is affixed to the base plate 15 and supports the center of the shaft 34 against sagging. The contact screw is'carried by the shank 2a which is equipped with a lug 61 for the mounting of the screw. Although the spring 58 assists in tending to hold the tongue 60in contact with the coin plate 20 it is the particular function of the spring to do that.

The contact of the tongue with the coin plate 20 is a sliding one under conditions of {idle operations of the plunger 13. In other words, should less than the requisite number of coins be inserted in the receivers and the plunger be subsequently pushed, or should the plungerbe pushed without any coins hav- Ling been inserted, the coin plate would merely slide beneath the tongue 60 which maintains its position by virtue of the spring pressure. But should the requisite number ofcoins be inserted, the action of'the lever jsystemwould be such as to raise the tongue out of contact with the coin plate, necessarily so because it is the raising of the tongue that raises the locking hook 22. 7

Reference is now made to the lever system which comprises the actuator means for the lockinghook 22. Thisis composed of levers of the second order, namely levers in which the weight is suspended from a point between the fulcrum and the point of application of the power. The lift fingers 25 to 28 are levers of the third order, namely levers in which the power is applied at a point between the fulcrum and the point of application of the weight. As regards the lever system which is thus especially denoted because of its particular function in respect to the lock release til, the leverage of the second order is pre served throughout regardless of how many components are brought into play at one time.

An equalizer master bar 62 is pivoted at 63 to the lock release 41, and this pivotal connection constitutes the weight point in the operation of the coin control. One end of the bar is fulcrumedat 64- to a yoke 65 which has hangers 66 and 67 at its ends for connection of the yoke with a pair of contact levers 6S and 69. he other end of the bar 62 rests upon the dime lift finger 25, the point of contact 70 being the point of application of the lifting power to the lever system. The pivot 63 is exactly midway of the fulcrum 64 and power point 70 so that the pivot63 will traverse a distance equal to one-half of that traversed by the point of contact 7 0 when a dime is advanced under the shoulder 43 of the finger 25.

However, the leverage is multiplied as it concerns the locking hook 22, the action of the tongue 60 against the contact screw 59 being to raise the hook 22 exactly the same distance as the point 70 when a dime is advanced under the shoulder $3 in the illustraw out of the lock slot 23 to give the coin plate 20 free passage beneath the hook. A dime will raise the locking hook approximately only two-thirds of the distance requisite to clear the coin plate.

It requires the insertion of a five cent piece into one of the remaining receivers to cause the remaining one-third lift of the hook 22'. The live cent piece may be inserted into any one of the receivers because the lever action of each one of the fingers 26, 27 and-28, is precisely the same on the weight point 63. In other words, the operation of any one of these fingers will raise the weight point 63 precisely the same'distance. But when the finger 25 is actuated by a five cent piece the cumulative lever action will raise the weight point 63 higher than is possible by either a dime or five cent piece alone, with the result that the hook 22 is lifted completely out of the lock slot 23 and the coin plate 20 permitted to move rearwardly without obstruction.

I The samecumulative action'occurs when a five cent piece is placed in each of the receivers 30, 31 and 32. The combined lifting action the locking hook 22 completely out of the slot 23, not necessarily as high as the combined ac- 'tion of the finger 25 in combination with one of the fingers 26, 27 and28, but sufficiently high to completely clear the slot so that the coin plate 20 is free to be moved as before.

. The distance between the axis of the pivot shaft 34 and the pointof contact of the shoulder43 of each of the fingers 26, 27 and 28, is such that when a five cent piece is advanced under the point the respective finger will be lifted three-eighths inch at the placeof its contact'with either lever 68 or 69. The places of contact of the levers 68 or 69 are denoted 71, 72 and 73. These levers are pivoted together at 74, and the pivot is directly over the finger 27. This is also true of the fulcrum 64. Spring wires 7 5 are looped around the various fingers 2'6, 27 an'd28 and the adjoining levers 68 and 69 to keep the partsin contact, yet permit freedom of movement.

The remote ends of-the levers 68 and 69 are movable in guides 78 which keep these levers in proper positions over the various'lift fin- 7 gers. Similarly, the free end'of the bar 62 is movable in a guide 79. These guides are fixedly secured to the guide plate 38. The points of connection of thehangers 66 and 67 with the levers68 and 69 are located two thirds the distance between the pivot 4 and the points of contact 71 and 73 of the levers with the fingers 26 and 28. A three-eighths 2 fingers 26 and 27. The operation of anytwo inch raise of the lift finger 28 (for example) will raise the. hanger .67 and its pivot connections one-fourth inch. Thefulcrum 64 is located midway of the hangers 66 and 67. WVhen the hanger 67 is raised bymeans of the finger 28 the point of pivotal connection of the yoke ,65'with the hanger 66 becomes the fulcrum for the yoke,'and since the fulcrum 64 is located midway of the yoke it follows that the one-fourth inch raise of the hanger 67 will be diminished to a one-eighth inch raise of the fulcrum 64.

, In true proportion the pivot or weight point 63 will be raised'only one-sixteenth inch.

The point of contact 70 instead of being the power point now becomes the fulcrum for. the bar .62.; Again, by a multiplication of the leverage, the tongue 60 will raise. the contact screw 59 a sufiicient distance to elevate the hook 22one-eighth inch or one-third the dis tance requisite to release the coin plate 20. In other words, a five centpiece will contribute'one-third of the elevation of the hook 22 necessary to unlock th'e'mechanism. The remaining two-thirds, is contributed by a ten cent piece in the manner'already explained.

What has. been said in correction with the lift finger 28 is true of each of the-otherlift Of the five cent lift fingers will result in atwothirds elevation of the locking hook 22, and

the operation of; all three of the five 'centlift out of thelock' slot 23.

fingers in unison will produce a three-thirds elevation of the locking hook or a complete displacement thereof from within range of the lock slot 23. To make this clear, a threeeighths raise of the lifter 27 will raise the pivot'74 (Fig. 3) three-eighths inch because the point of contact 72 is directly under this pivot. Since the hangers 66 and 67 are located The operation of the finger 26 will be the SELHlu as that of thefinger 28, only the hanger 67 becomes the fulcrum for the yoke 65, whereas in the first instance the hanger 66 acted as,

the fulcrum for the yoke. Y

The operation. is readily understood. Assume that the sale price of the article desired to be purchased is fifteen cents.

locking hook 22will be lifted sufiiciently high out of the lock slot 23 to permit an unimpeded inward movement of the coin plate 20 and plunger 13. p A full inward movement of the plunger is required before the article will "be dispensed. I The intending purchaser has a dime and a five cent piece. He must insert the dime in the dime hole 48 and the five cent piecein one of the holes 49.

He cannot insert the five cent piece in the The coin control requires the insertion of coins having .an aggregate value of fifteen cents beforethe hole 48 because the latter is too smalland should he insert the dime in one of the holes 49 he would lose his money as soon as the plunger 13 is pushed in far enough to bring the dime withinrange of the slug discharge opening 45.] But it is assumed that the pur chaser has inserted the coins in the proper holes. An inward push onthe plunger will bring the dime under theshoulder 43 of the finger 25 (Fig; 4) and the five cent piece under the shoulder 43 of the finger 26 (Fig.

5). Both fingers will be raised. The shaft 34 constitutes the fulcrum, the shoulders 43 70 and 71 of the fingers 25 and 26 with the 116 the power points and theplaces of contact lever system the weight points,thus for the time being making the fingers 25 and 26 levers of the third order. 7

The combined and cumulative action of the fingers 25 and 26 is to produce a rocking of the'bar 62 upon its fulcrum 64 and-the lever 68 uponits pivot '74. The yoke 65 will yield, due to the connection of the lever 68 with one end thereof byineans of'the hanger. 66 and the'cumulative lever action is to raise the weight point 63 to such distance that the hook 22 will be elevated completely By this time the coins have reached :the neighborhood of the webs 44. Thus far the coins have been prevented from dropping through. As soon as the hook 22 is elevated out of range of the front end of the slot 23 a continued push on the plunger and the coin plate 20 will effect full registration of the coin holes 48 and 49 with the coin slots 46 through which the coins will fall into the drawer 47. The hook 22 will new fall to its original position as will also the fingers 25 and 26. The push continues until the inner endof the slot 56 stops the forward lug 21.

This represents the full inward movement of the plunger. 1

Upon the following forward movement of the .plunger the article will be discharged from the column 4 intothe chute 11 by the 'discharger slide 5. The rounded leading edge 57 f the forward lug 21 will displace the book 22 so that the hook can drop back into its lock slot 23 and assume the position shown inFigure '1. As the forward ends of the receivers'29 to 32 pass under the shoulders 43 the various lift fingers are momentarily raised but immediately drop to their original positions by virtue of the pressure imposed upon the lock release 41 by the spring 40. The forward edges of the receivers are slightlly bevelled at-76 (Figs. 4 and so that they can readily pass under the shoulders.

Should the intending purchaser have three five cent pieces he may insert them in the holes 49. Upon now pushing in on the plunger tliere'will be a concerted and cumulative action of the fingers26, 27 and28 which, being applied to the weight point Ge will elevatethe hook 22 a distance requisite to unlock the coin plate 20. It is to be observed that the pivot 63 retains its identity as the weight point under all circumstances. Regardless of what set of levers is operated the duty of raising the lock release 41 is ultimately imposed upon the pivot 63 which thus becomes the weight point.

But the point of contact 7 O of the master bar-62 with the finger 25 does not always retain the distinction of being the power point asin the instance whenthe finger 25 is solely actuated by a dime. The operation of any two or all three of the five cent fingers 26, 27 and 28 will convert the point into the fulcrum of so: much of tlierlever system as is then retained operative. Indeed, the point 70 does'not retain 1ts distinction as the sole brought into play.

It therefore follows that even though the compoundlever system'remains in the second rderthe-power and fulcrum points are quite free to shift with absolutely no interference to the operation of the system. It only remains to say that the accurately formed slots 51 and 52 in the front plate 19 (Fig. 6) will exclude twisted and warped coins as well as abnormally thick slugs. Undersize slugs of proper thicknesses will not get into the machine far enough to work the vending mechanism for they will fall through the discharge openings 45. Coins intentionally or accidentally remaining stuck in the openings 48 and 49 will be ejected by the tongues 54 as the coin plate 20 completes its inward stroke.

Briefly reviewing the advantages of the coin control, it is an outstanding feature that the single coin control mechanism is'the common actuator of a plurality of article columns 4, and that it requires only one manual operation to obtain the article after the coins are once inserted. The mechanism gauges the coins both for diameter and thickness,

and as long as the intending purchaser has returned to the purchaser and will not drop out of reach in the machine. Such coins will not serveto unlock the machine, and it is only by the insertion of coins of sufficient value that this object can be accomplished. On the principle already announced, it is possible to devise a lever system which can be proportioned to operate by any desired combination of coins aggregating given values.

Although the lugs 21 are intended to be fixed to the plunger 13, the connection is not so inseparable that the coin control may not be replaced by a new one should it be necessary to do so. Regarding the lugs 21 as being of a separable nature it is readily seen that a material saving in express charges can be eifectedby merely returning the coin control to the factory should a repair become necessary, rather than the entire vending machine, which in practice can be made in some size.

While the construction and arrangement of the improved coin control is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim 1. A coin control comprising 7 locking means capable of assuming locking and unlocking positions, a lever required to be swung a given distance for actuating thelocking means, and means for contributing parts of the requisite motion, the total motion equalling the distance for operating thelever to displace the locking means to the unlocking position. 7

2. A coin control comprising locking means capable of assuming locking and unlocking positions, a compound lever in connection with the locking means, and means gauged by an assemblage of coins and actuated thereby to cumulatively operate the compound lever for the displacement of the locking means into the unlocking position.

3. A coin control comprising locking means capable of assuming locking and unlocking positions, a plurality of means for operating the locking means, and a compound lever cumulatively actuatable by said plurality of means at separated points along said compoundlever to displace the locking means sufiiciently to assume the locking position.

4. A coin control comprising locking means capable of assuming locking and unlocking positions, a compound lever in connection with the locking means, and a set of lift fingers individually operable by coins and bearing upon the compound lever at separated oints to summarize the various operations of the lift fingers in a single operation of the compound lever to displace the locking means into the unlocking position.

5. A coin control comprising locking means capable of assuming locking and unlocking positions, a set of coin-operated lift fingers the operation of each of which being fractional as regards the requisite movement of the locking means to assume the unlocking position, and a compound lever in connection with said locking means upon which the fractional movements of said lift fingers are summarized to produce a movement of the compound lever to fully displace the locking means into the unlocked position. I V

6. A coin control comprising locking means capable of assuming locking and un locking positions, aset of lift fingers, a compound lever having common bearing on said set of fingers and responding to a movement ofany of the lift fingers, and movable means receiving coins for movement of thecoins against a selected plurality of fingers to actuate the compound lever with the accumulated movements of said selected fingers'to displace said locking means into the unlocking position. V

7. A coin control 7 comprising locking means capable of assuming locking and unlocking positions, actuator means in connection with the locking means, a set of lift fingers each being capable of fractionally moving the actuatormeans to displace the locking means toward the unlocking position, receiver means for receiving'various coins of a determinedaggregate value, and means for moving the receiver means to move said coins against a selected plurality -of the fingers to transmit the concerted movement of said fingers to said actuatormeansfor a movement of the locking means into the unlocking position.

'8. A coin control comprising locking means capable of assuming locking and: unlocking positions, a lock release with which said locking means has connection, a set of lift fingers individually operable by coins of selected denominations, and a compound lever traversing said; fingers and converting the fractional movementsof a selected .plu-

rality of the fingersinto a single movement thelocking means has contact, a set of lift fingers, receiver meansfor moving a plura llty of, coins against companion-lift fingers: to produce fractionalmovements of each, and a leverage system with WhlCll said lift fingers have; separated points of contact, said system including equalizer bar in pivotal connectlon with the lock release and sum marizingsaid fractional movementsv into a single movement of said pivotal connection to advance: the locking means to the unlockposition; v 11'LA 001D control comprising, locking means capable of assuming locking and unlocking positions, a set of coin-operable fingens, a leverage systemtraversing the fingers comprising a pair of levers havinga pivotal connection and bearing upon one of the fingers and having the remote ends bearing on adjoining fingers, a yoke having hangers connected with saidlevers, an equalizer bar bearing on another finger and fulcrumed to the yoke, and a lock release to which said bar is pivoted and with which the locking means has movable contact.

12. A coin control comprising locking means, a lock release with which the locking means has contact, a set of coin operable lift fingers, and a leverage system having components bearing upon the lift fingers at points of contact which variously become powerand fulcrum pointsdepending upon the operation of said fingers, said system including an equalizer bar having a pivotal connection with the lock release which always remains the Weight point.

13. In a coin control, a fixed base plate having a limiting slot, a plunger, and a coin plate slidable over the. base plate by operation of the plunger having lugs by which connection of the coin plate is made with the plunger, one of said plugs occupying said slots to limit the reciprocation of the plunger.

14:. A coin control comprising locking means, actuator means for displacing the locking means from a locking to an unlocking position, and means adjustable by an assortment of coins to assume an ultimate adjustment at which said actuator means will establish the locking means in the unlocking position.

15. A coin control comprising locking means, actuator means for displacing the locking means, and means requiring the application thereto of an optionally selected assortment of coins for the operation of the actuator means to an extent requisite for the displacement of the locking means to an unlocking position. V v

16. A coin control comprising locking means, actuator means for displacing the locking means, and feeler means to touch a plurality of coins thus to establish the extent of movement of the actuator means in urging thelocking means toward an unlocking position. 1

17 A coin control comprising locking means, actuator means for displacing the locking means, and ieeler means to touch a spread out assortment of coins thus to establish the extent of movement of the actuator means in urging the locking means toward an unlocking position. a

18. A coin control comprising locking means, actuator means for displacing the locking means,and.plural feeler means to simultaneously touch an assortment of coins thus to establish the extent of movement of the actuator means in urging the locking means toward an unlocking position.

GEORGE E. NICHOLSON. 

